Entries in Russia
(23)

Andrew Wommack on the Gospel Truth TV program. (Click to enlarge)On February 8, 2010 Andrew's Gospel Truth television program was broadcast for the first time on Russian television—in the Russian language! As the program is aired on CNL, Russia's only Christian television network, Andrew has the daily opportunity to reach more than 160 million households across eleven time zones. This marks an exciting time for Andrew, and AWM, as the almost-too-good-to-be-true-news of the Gospel is shared throughout a vast and spiritually hungry nation.

Carrie and Mike Pickett (Click to enlarge)The Gospel Truth translation and voiceover project was initiated by Mike and Carrie Pickett, Directors of AWM-Russia, and Charis Bible College in St. Petersburg. Carrie, a CBC graduate, has been part of AWM's missionary efforts, referred to as the "Russian Project" for ten years. The couple and their staff agree that bringing Andrew's program to TV in Russian is the team's largest outreach to date.

Carrie said, "This is what Russia needs! They need someone that will 'sit' with them in their homes, and tell them honestly, without hype and manipulation, how to live their lives with victory, and how to understand the real love God has for them." Andrew's simple, sincere, way of teaching will meetthat need.

AWM Russia's head interpreter, Volodia Tsis recording audio for the TV project.(Click to elarge) The conversion of Andrew's English programs into Russian requires a time consuming collaborative effort with Andrew's stateside TV department. AWM-Russia's head interpreter, Volodia Tsis serves as the translator, and as Andrew's Russian voice in the dubbing process. After providing the audio translation files to the TV department in the U.S., the lengthy production process to perfect the programming continues.

While the technical process of television production and distribution are handled by Andrew's TV department in Colorado, AWM-Russia's focus is to address the increasing ministry opportunities that arise in response to Andrew's teachings as the Word is spread across the Russian landscape.

Spirit, Soul and Body book promotion during Russian programming.(Click to enlarge)In addition to the opportunity to watch these daily broadcasts, viewers are able to order Andrew's translated books, teachings and the new correspondence program from CBC-Russia, allowing them further opportunity to hear Andrew and other college instructors share the Word of God. Because the laborers are relatively few in Russia, each time AWM-Russia sends out ministry materials, the team views the information being sent as a "missionary" to that home, church or village.

"We are continually amazed at the role our team gets to play in this massive outreach. To be able to 'enter' the homes of 160 million people and share the good news of God’s love and grace, is a dream come true for our team," said Carrie.

Like many missionaries, the Picketts and their team see needs everyday that they cannot accommodate on their own. There is always a prayer in their hearts about what else they can do. Being part of putting the Gospel Truth program on TV, allows them to move out across Russia in a greater way than ever before.

Another exciting detail of this translation and voiceover project is that Andrew's Russian language programs are also available on CNL within Europe, Israel and the United States. Russian’s across the globe are able to hear the good news in their own language. Fruit of the effort has already sprouted in America where the AWM phone center has begun to field calls from Russian speaking people within the U.S. Andrew and the AWM-Russia team look forward to the testimonies of the lives that will be changed forever.

Without question, Andrew's Gospel Truth program is a powerful ministry tool, and in a nation where many, according to Carrie, believe that God is a communist, the TRUTH will set them free!

Watch a sample of Andrew's Gospel Truth TV program with the added Russian audio.

Note to our U.S. readers: Andrew's English speaking voice is still audible in the backround. While it may seem strange to hear both languages at the same time, this is the normal and expected way voiceover is produced in Russia.

St. Petersburg, Russia home of Charis Bible Training Center. (Click to enlarge)For decades under communism, Russia recruited third world students to St. Petersburg to indoctrinate them in Soviet Universities. Today students still come from abroad to study, but they are no longer indoctrinated with communism. Some of the world's brightest come to study business, medicine, science and law in the Russian Universities. Charis Bible College graduate Carrie Pickett has been in St. Petersburg for ten years, preparing some of these aspiring professionals to return home with more than just an academic degree, but also a firm foundation in the Word, and an ability to minister the almost-too-good-to-be-true-news of the Gospel.

Missionaries Mike and Carrie Pickett. The couple co-direct CBTC, EMI and Andrew Wommack Ministries Russia.(Click to enlarge)Carrie and her husband Mike, both originally from the United States, met in 2004 on the mission field of St. Petersburg, where Carrie was directing Charis Bible Training Center (CBTC), a Charis Bible College affiliate school. The two were married in 2006 and since then have been working to transform the lives of the students attending CBTC, sharing with them the message of God’s unconditional love and grace.

Mike and Carrie currently co-direct CBTC. The school offers two years of Bible training, a third year of Leadership School and a fourth year apprenticeship program before the students complete the curriculum. The Picketts and their four other staff members are presently ministering to, and equipping, 62 students from over 15 nations at the training center. These students represent multiple churches and denominational backgrounds. The Bible school in Russia is literally touching the world through its multi-national graduates.

In class at CBTC (Click to enlarge)Together the Picketts oversee a number of other leadership training programs beyond CBTC, under the banner of their own ministry called Equip Ministries International (EMI). The vision for EMI is "to equip and mobilize leaders to reach the nations." The fruit from CBTC and their ministry efforts indicates that they are fulfilling this mission.

One of the unique aspects of CBTC is that the majority of the students are from other countries. Carrie had this to say about the unique atmosphere at CBTC,

A group of multinational CBTC students equipped to share the Gospel. (Click to enlarge)"We have Russians that study with us, but we also have students from Nigeria, China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uganda, Congo, Zambia, Zimbabwe, America, Uzbekistan, Sweden, Tanzania, and Latvia. Most are studying in the Universities here in Russia for their medical, engineering, or economic degrees. Once they finish their Bible School training they head back home to their nations. It is in this unique aspect that we see our vision of equipping leaders to reach the nations being fulfilled."

In the eight years since CBTC was established in St. Petersburg, hundreds of students have received solid Bible teaching and become strong, mature ministers. As Carrie and Mike continue to minister in the multicultural setting of Charis Bible Training Center many lives are being changed in Russia and around the world.

In the video below Carrie shares more details of the Pickett's missionary efforts in Russia. For a more in-depth look at the Picketts and their ministry be sure to watch the Mike and Carrie Pickett Destiny Story.